This invention relates to an electrical junction box for a vehicle having a replaceable controller.
Some modern vehicles have an electrical architecture which includes one or more electrical junction boxes. An electrical junction box is used primarily to control high current electrical devices, i.e. devices requiring one or more amps of current. To control such devices, an electrical junction box includes one or more switching devices, such as relays and/or fuses, which switch power from a remote power supply to the high current electrical devices.
Some electrical junction boxes include a micro-processor based controller for operating the switching devices. In the prior art junction boxes, the controller is integrated with the junction box. In other words, the controller cannot be removed from the junction box. As a result, prior art junction boxes have several shortcomings. Foremost, the controller alone cannot be removed for service or replaced for micro-processor chip upgrade. Further, the controller cannot be updated at a later time, e.g. when the vehicle is returned at the end of a lease, to upgrade the optional electrical accessory content of the vehicle.